Heretofore, materials for modeling and/or sculpturing comprising clays for the manual production of plastic representations or sculptures or the like of all types, for example, a plaster of Paris, an oil-based clay such as Plasticine [e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 3,558,340, Japanese Unexamined Patend Publication (Kokai) No. 53436/1977, No. 36324/1979], an oil-based wheat flour [e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 111128/1976, No. 533/1977], a mixture of wood powder, hydrocarbon oil and rubber-reinforced styrene resin (e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,976), a mixture of crushed paper or pulp and binding material (ex. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No.1117/1975, No.38427/1978), a mixture of synthesized latex, starch and bread powder (e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,054), a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol powder and polyhydric alcohol (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No.125446/1976), and the like, have been widely known.
The above-mentioned materials for modeling and/or sculpturing have been widely used by professional sculptors, artists, non-professional hobbyist including students or children and other workers as pliable materials.
Of the above-mentioned prior arts, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,558,340 discloses a process of coating an object of oil or wax-based modeling clay which comprises several steps.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,456 discloses a modeling compound which comprises polyvinyl chloride powder and alkyl polyglycol ether and kaolin, and the like.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,071 discloses a plastic compound which is deformable by hand and serves for the production of models, motifs and other kinds of plastic representations.
The plastic compound for modeling is constituted of binding agents such as polyvinyl chloride or cellulose ether or ceresin wax, plasticizers and/or solvents, as well as fillers such as aluminum hydroxide.
The above-mentioned compounds can be molded with dies or by hands, and be sculptured with a chisel or a boaster and also be polished by a rasp or a sandpaper.
However, the above-mentioned compounds have many problems and disadvantages, as described hereinafter.
For example, the compounds typically cannot be used repeatedly, and, for example, a piece of work or product in a partially broken situation cannot be repaired or reformed, that is, a change from the softened state to the solidified state is typically irreversible.
Furthermore, fine hair cracks in a piece of work or product tend to occur over a long period after solidification.
Also, thin or fine parts cannot be formed without many difficulties because of weakness of flexural strength and/or self-supporting ability.
Furthermore, there is caused a problem of dusting while handling, and generally there is a requirement of a long time for drying or solidification.
Still further, there is also a disadvantage of difficulty in painting with colored paint brightly or clearly, because of a typical lack of smoothness or the above-mentioned fine hair cracks of the surface.
Additionally, it is difficult for such piece of work or product to be colored clearly by blending pigments or dyes.
For the purpose of overcoming the above disadvantages, recently, various kinds of resins have been used.
The examples include epoxy resins, polyurethane resins, acrylic resins, and polycaprolactones.
Of the above-mentioned resins, however, epoxy resins and polyurethane resins can be used only in special uses, because of resins having irreversible hardenability.
Acrylic resins can be only sculptured or shaved in addition to its high softening temperatures; accordingly, the application scope is disadvantageously limited.
On the other hand, a lactone resin such as a polycaprolactone resin, which is a thermoplastic resin, can be softened at temperatures of approximately 60.degree. to 80.degree. C., so that the lactone resins have recently been used as a resin for modeling compound.
For example, the polycaprolactone resin for kneading and modeling compound was disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 42679/1986 [entitled "The Use of a Resin for Modeling Compound"].
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 113457/1989 [entitled "A Resin Composition and The Use of a Resin for Modeling Compound"] and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 213353/1989 [entitled "The Use of a Resin for Modeling Compound"] disclose that the thermoplastic polycaprolactone is mixed with a chlorinated polyethylene or a chlorinated paraffin for the purpose of delaying the time to be solidified from the state of being softened.
Still further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 196090/1989 [entitled "The Use of a Resin for Modeling Compound"] disclose that the thermoplastic polycaprolactone is mixed with a polycarbonate resin for the purpose of lowering softening temperatures.
However, the caprolactone resin cannot be sculptured or shaved with a chisel or a boaster, etc., and cannot be polished with a rasp or a sandpaper because of its hardness and fine splits in spite of its moderate softening temperatures (that is, modeling temperatures) and other excellent properties.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 255151/1990 [corresponding to the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 635,721: entitled "The Material for Modeling and/or Sculpturing"] discloses that there is used a thermoplastic polyoctenamer resin mixed with an inorganic filler for the purpose of improving the ease of sculpturing, shaving and polishing with a rasp or a sandpaper, etc., without loss of its moderate softening temperatures, that is, modeling temperatures and other excellent properties.
The composition for a sculpturing material has a disadvantage of shrinking after elapse of a long period of time.